1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an information processor. It, more particularly, relates to a desktop personal computer incorporating a motherboard of ATX (including Micro ATX) into which electronic-parts-implementing boards for extension of functionality of the motherboard are incorporated, and a method for incorporating the electronic-parts-implementing boards.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, the information processor such as the desktop personal computer has been increasingly used. Such the computer incorporates an electronic-parts-implementing board that implements a central processing unit, a memory IC chip and the like and electronic parts such as an interface card, a power supply unit, a CD-RW driver, a floppy (R) disc (FD) driver. In addition to them, the computer has a slot for extension of functionality on a back surface of its housing The slot is available for incorporating into the computer a communication and network riser (CNR) expansion card. An opening formed on a front surface of the housing is available for incorporating into the computer a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) expansion card.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-108503 discloses the incorporation of electronic parts such as PCI expansion card and CNR expansion card of the above types, particularly, information processors. The Patent Publication discloses a configuration of this information processor wherein a motherboard implementing a connector for interface card and the like is screwed to a frame chassis, and an electronic-parts-implementing board such as PCI expansion card and CNR expansion card is capable of being incorporated (page 3 FIG. 5 thereof). The motherboard may incorporate an electronic-parts-implementing board that conforms to ATX (including Micro ATX) standards and the like.
The ATX standards are standards for a motherboard for PC/AT converter that Intel Corp. has presented in 1995. In the ATX standards, the shape and dimension of the board and the locations of the respective parts and slots are strictly determined. Before the presentation of the ATX standards, the respective manufactures have manufactured motherboards in accordance with their own respective standards. The ATX standards, however, determine detailed rules. This causes the compatibility between parts to be increased, thereby allowing a larger number of manufactures to participate in the market. The Micro ATX standards determine a size of board smaller than that of the ATX standards, and have a modified upper limit of the number of extension slots from the ATX specification. Flex ATX standards determine a specification of further smaller-sized board than that of the Micro ATX standards.
In a method for incorporating an expansion card in a computer of a conventional system, there are problems as follows:
(1) For example, a slot at the lowest position in the motherboard of ATX standards and the like is exclusively usable at only either one of a back surface of the housing or a front surface of the housing for the following reason. That is, even if the PCI expansion card and the CNR expansion card are structured so as to be usable simultaneously in terms of electric circuits, the brackets of these cards spatially overlap with each other. Therefore, the bracket of only either one of these cards can be inserted into the slot and the inserted bracket completely occupies the parts attachment space in the motherboard.
(2) Therefore, when the bracket of the standard in either the PCI expansion card or the CNR expansion card is used, the bracket of the standard in the remaining card cannot be used. For this reason, it is impossible to simultaneously use the electronic-parts-implementing boards for expansion at the back surface of the housing and at the front surface of the housing.
(3) It is conceivable that the PCI expansion card and the CNR expansion card are mounted to the connector for an interface card in a state where the parts packaging surfaces of the PCI expansion card and the CNR expansion card are opposed to each other. However, if electronic parts are mounted so as to be opposed to each other without making any special arrangement, tall electronic parts such as capacitors hit against each other at the time of transportation to cause connectors to loosen or to cause connection failure.
The present invention has solved the problems in the above related arts, and an objective thereof is to provide an apparatus allowing electronic-parts-implementing boards to be incorporated thereinto in which electronic-parts-implementing boards for extension of functionality can be simultaneously used at a back surface of the housing and at a front surface of the housing, although such the boards have been usable either at the back surface of the housing or the front surface of the housing, and a method for incorporating the electronic-parts-implementing boards.
According to one aspect of the invention, the apparatus allows the electronic-parts-implementing boards to be incorporated into the apparatus. The apparatus comprises a housing having at least a front surface and a back surface.
The apparatus also comprises a first electronic-parts-implementing board, for example, a motherboard, having multiple board connection terminals each being arranged apart at a specific interval thereon. The first electronic-parts-implementing board is incorporated in the housing.
The apparatus further comprises a second electronic-parts-implementing board, for example, a PCI expansion board and CNR expansion board, having a group of electrodes. The second electronic-parts-implementing board is connected with one of the multiple board connection terminals of the first electronic-parts-implementing board with the group of electrodes of the second electronic-parts-implementing board being inserted into one of the multiple board connection terminals of the first electronic-parts-implementing board. The apparatus still further comprises a third electronic-parts-implementing board, for example, a PCI expansion board and CNR expansion board, having a group of electrodes. The third electronic-parts-implementing board is connected with other one of the multiple board connection terminals of the first electronic-parts implementing board with the group of electrodes of the third electronic-parts-implementing board being inserted into other one of the multiple board connection terminals of the first electronic-parts-implementing board.
Each of the front and back surfaces of the housing has an opening for allowing an operation surface of one of the second and third electronic-parts-implementing boards to be exposed to the outside.
In the second and third electronic-parts-implementing boards, the respective groups of electrodes of the second and third electronic-parts-implementing boards are inserted to the corresponding board connection terminals of the first electronic-parts-implementing board with an electronic-parts-implementing surface of the second electronic-parts-implementing board and an electronic-parts-implementing surface of the third electronic-parts-implementing board being faced to each other.
According to the apparatus of the present invention, at the time of incorporating the electronic-parts-implementing board for extension of functionality to a specific housing, the housing has openings for allowing the operation surfaces of the electronic-parts-implementing boards to be exposed to the outside at its front surface and the back surface. In the housing, a first electronic-parts-implementing board having multiple board connection terminals arranged at specific intervals is incorporated.
Under the conditions described above, the electronic-parts-implementing surface of the second electronic-parts-implementing board having a group of electrodes for connecting the second electronic-parts-implementing board with the first electronic-parts-implementing board and the electronic-parts-implementing surface of the third electronic-parts-implementing board having a group of electrodes for connecting the third electronic-parts-implementing board with the first electronic-parts-implementing board are opposed to each other. Then, the respective groups of electrodes of the second and third electronic-parts-implementing boards are inserted to the corresponding board connection terminals of the first electronic-parts-implementing board inside the housing while the operation surface of the second electronic-parts-implementing board is exposed from the opening at the front surface of the housing and the operation surface of the third electronic-parts-implementing board is exposed from the opening at the back surface of the housing.
According to the invention, the second electronic-parts-implementing board of which operation surface for the electronic parts is exposed at the front surface of the housing and the third electronic-parts-implementing board of which operation surface for the electronic parts is exposed at the back surface of the housing can be implemented to the first electronic-parts-implementing board inside the housing by use of one and the same electronic-parts-implementing space. This allows the second electronic-parts-implementing board such as a PCI expansion card and the third electronic-parts-implementing board such as a CNR expansion card to be simultaneously used at the front and back surfaces of the housing, respectively, although only either one of such the boards has been exclusively usable at the back surface of the housing or the front surface of the housing in a conventional system.
A method according to the invention allows an electronic-parts-implementing board to be incorporated with an operation surface of the electronic-parts-implementing board being exposed to the outside through an opening previously formed in a specific housing at its front surface and its back surface. The method comprises the step of incorporating a first electronic-parts-implementing board having multiple board connecting terminals each being arranged apart at a specific interval to an inside of the housing.
The method also comprises the step of preparing a second electronic-parts-implementing board having a group of electrodes for connecting the second electronic-parts-implementing board with the first electronic-parts-implementing board and preparing a third electronic-parts-implementing board having a group of electrodes for connecting the third electronic-parts-implementing board with the first electronic-parts-implementing board. In this step, at the same time, locating the second and third electronic-parts-implementing boards with an electronic-parts-implementing surface of the second electronic-parts-implementing board and an electronic-parts-implementing surface of the third electronic-parts-implementing board being faced to each other.
The method further comprises the step of connecting the group of electrodes of the second electronic-parts-implementing board with one of the board connection terminals of the first electronic-parts-implementing board, and connecting the group of electrodes of the third electronic-parts-implementing board with other one of the board connection terminals of the first electronic-parts-implementing board.
In this case, the respective groups of electrodes of the second and third electronic-parts-implementing boards may be electrically connected with the board connection terminals of the first electronic-parts-implementing board with the operation surface of the second electronic-parts-implementing board being exposed from the opening at the front surface of the housing and the operation surface of the third electronic-parts-implementing board being exposed from the opening at the back surface of the housing.
According to the method of the present invention, the second electronic-parts-implementing board of which operation surface for the electronic parts is exposed at the front surface of the housing and the third electronic-parts-implementing board of which operation surface for the electronic parts is exposed at the back surface of the housing can be simultaneously incorporated to the first electronic-parts-implementing board inside the housing. This allows the electronic-parts-implementing boards for extension of functionality to be simultaneously used at the back surface of the housing and at the front surface of the housing, respectively, although only either one of such the boards has been exclusively usable at the back surface of the housing or the front surface of the housing in a conventional system.
The concluding portion of this specification particularly points out and directly claims the subject matter of the present invention. However those skill in the art will best understand both the organization and method of operation of the invention, together with further advantages and objects thereof, by reading the remaining portions of the specification in view of the accompanying drawing(s) wherein like reference characters refer to like elements.